cark what care what hell on earth for women they sustain Your peace is war your sléep is watching and your ease is toyle Your life is death your mirth is mone and your successe a foyle These woordes are vsde for ornaments to beautifie your stile And these I think you followe poore Victoria to beguile Fedele ¶ If for your sake alone more then for any other dame I were not thus tormented then I graunt I were too blame But sith your golden graces are the cause of all my gréfe Giue eare and credit to my plaint and yéeld me some reléefe Victoria ¶ If this be true why did you part and stay so long in Spain Delay bréeds losse either I thought you would not come again Or els that change of company would alter your delight And absence put me out of minde that shut me out of sight Did not I say that your departure would my death procure Fedele ¶ You did Victoria ¶ And could you make me then to féele so sharp a showre Fedele ¶ Need hathe no lawe the matter toucht my land and life so néer That I was forste against my will to stay no longer héer But sith I haue dispatcht according to mine owne desire Loe héer I am to serue you still in bitter frost or fier Actus prima Scena tertia Enter Attilia Maid to Mistresse Victoria with Pamphila Maid to Mistres Virginia and Medusa the Enchantresse with her box of enchantments vnder her arme Victoria DEparte Fedele for this time come to me soon at night I will consider better of your plaint and heauie plight My maid and other company dooth prease into this place It were not good to make them all acquainted with your case Fedele ¶ A thousad thankes this in your ear let that the token bée Exit Victoria ¶ I knowe your meaning Sir farwell referre the rest to mée Alas poore soule he little knowes how colde a sute he hathe He must be dallied with a while for fear of after scathe Attilia ¶ And must you séek Fedele out Pamphila ¶ I must Attilia ¶ But to what end Pamphila ¶ To craue of curtesie that he would stand my Mistres fréend Attilia ¶ Mistres Virginia Pamphil. ¶ The same Attilia ¶ In what matter I pray Pamphil. ¶ That 's counsaile vnto you I must not euery thing bewray And yet by her so bitter is the taste of looue I finde That gall were swéeter to the mouth and better to the minde ¶ I haue the Hare on foot Attilia ¶ But knowe you where Fedele is Pamphila ¶ Him at his house or walking in the stréet you shall not misse Attilia ¶ Farewell I will goe séek him straight Exit Pamphila ¶ Yet finde him not too soon Attilia Alas poore soule her sute is colde before it be begun Loe héer the common fault of looue to followe her that flyes And flye from her that makes pursuite with loud lamenting cryes Fedele looues Victoria and shée hath him forgot Virginia likes Fedele best and hée regardes her not Medusa ¶ O foolish looue and loouers that look not to theire state But swimme against the tide and then repent when t is too late If wée could learne to séek to them that vnto vs doo sue The match were made and wée should haue no cause at all to rue When wée be coy and holde our fréendes aloofe at cap and knée The Mart is marde and euery eye our folly then dooth sée ¶ What talke you there Attilia Victoria ¶ No hurt at all to you Attilia ¶ What newes Victoria ¶ Good swéet and ioyfull newes Mistres I bring you now Attilia ¶ Hast thou met with Fortunio Victoria ¶ Not so Attilia ¶ Then what 's the newes Victoria ¶ As I was walking through the stréets alone Attilia Deuising how to finde a remedie to cure your mone I met Medusa with her box and trinckets as you sée Whose cunning shortly shall deuise the way to set you frée Victoria ¶ No way without Fortunio Attilia ¶ Fortunio you shall haue Be not afraid therfore in this this womans aide to craue Shée can enchant and woorke wunders by Magicks learned art Shée can with woordes with charmes and hearbes giue you Fortunioes hart Make much of her Victoria ¶ Ah foole I knowe that looue is such a passion of the minde As neither Ayrye Sprites can rule nor force of Magick binde Attilia ¶ Yet trye her cunning sith that I haue brought her into place Victoria ¶ Medusa will thy drugges procure a pining loouer grace Medusa ¶ Mistres they will Victoria ¶ Open thy box and let me sée thy store Let me haue that shall pleasure me I le pay thée well therfore Medusa ¶ Héer is an Egge of a black Hen a quill pluckt from a Crowe Who with this pen writes on this Egge a charme that I doo knowe And names the party whome they like the same shall looue again What think you of this remedye Attilia ¶ This remedye is vain Look farther yet into your box some other medicin prooue Because my Mistres cares not for the single iuice of looue She craueth more shée must enioy the party shée desires Victoria ¶ Fye holde thy peace Attilia ¶ Els hath shée not the thing that shée requires Medusa ¶ Loe héer a spoonfull of a Uirgins milke Incorporated with a péece of dowe Powdred with cinders of fine Spanish Silke And steeped in the licquor of a Slowe On th one side write Venus and Cupids name On thother his that loou'd then take the same And broyle it on the coales vnto a crust Basting it well with hony dropes and oyle Giue it to him you looue to kindle lust And then your sute shall neuer suffer foyle This will so binde the gallant whome you choose That he shall nere him selfe héerafter loose Attilia ¶ All this is to no purpose yet me thinks you are too wide What pleasure can my Mistres haue so long as he is tied Victoria ¶ Shée meanes not tied in hand or foot but bound to be my slaue In all the seruices and duties that I mean to craue Medusa ¶ Héere are two hartes the one was taken out of a black Cat The other from a Pigion héer is the blood of a Batte Héere is a péece of Uirgin waxe héer 's an inchaunted Bean To make you goe inuisible Victoria ¶ You knowe not what I mean Attilia ¶ These thinges are prety but they are not for my Mistres fit For if she be inuisible I pray what profits it She shall beholde the man whome shée delighteth moste to sée But béeing hid she neuer can enioye his companye Yet shewe vs more Medusa ¶ Héer 's thinges will make men melt in fittes of looue A wanton Goates braine and the Liuer of a purple Dooue A Cockes eye and a Capons spurre the left legge of a Quaile A Goose bill and a Ganders tung a mounting Eagles tayle But sith they must be taken in th increasing of the Moone Before the rising of
his gettings euery day Enter Attilia Oh deus adiunxit nostris sua numina votis Beholde I beséech you my delicate Mistris Attilia ¶ How proue you that Crack-st. ¶ I am so terrebinthinall and play such reakes when I come to the féeld That mine enemies choose rather to murder them selues then to yéeld Wherby their Damned soules haue so pestered all hell That ther 's no roome left for women to dwell Thus being thrust out of the place that is theirs by right They are constraind into heauen to take their flight Attilia ¶ I confes that this benefit is so great That my tung is not able your praise to repeat Crack-st. ¶ Besides that I haue as good luck as any man of my life To finde fauour and fréendship in Gentlewomens eyes I thank them they flout me to my face when no other they mock This was my fathers craft for he euer made my Mother to wrap mée in her smocke Giue me good luck and throw mée into the Seas Where women take a pitch it is easy to please Attilia ¶ Truth Sir but will you goe too my Mistres with mée Crack-st. ¶ With an almond hart my girle I wil follow thée Exeunt The second Act beeing ended the Consorte soundeth again Actus tertia Scena prima Enter Mistres Virginia with Pamphila her maid Pamphila MIstresse I may and will once more goe séek him if you please Although I feare his answere wil returne you little ease What though he loou'd you first you sée his sute falles to the ground And by this small pursute thinkes you are as good lost as found Hée stoopeth to Victoriaes lure but she hath cast him of Hée bowes and créepes to her she turnes his labour too a scoffe Virginia ¶ How canst thou tell Pamphila ¶ Euen yesterday I heard it of her maid Virginia ¶ If it bée so then is hée iustly plagued from aboue And féeles that hell of minde which all forsakē Ghostes doo prooue Yet can I not beléeue it Pamphila before I sée And gather by his answere that he hath forsaken mée Therefore goe seeke him out againe Pamphil. ¶ Mistresse it shall not néede Ent. Fedele Loe where he walkes as sad as though his heart within did bléde Virginia ¶ Steppe to him straighte Pamphil. ¶ Master Fedele if you knew as well To loue and her that loues you to reléeue As you are skilfull in deceite to dwell And to torment whome you should neuer gréeue Happie were she that beares you in her breste Happie were you of such a pearle posseste Fedele ¶ What meaneth this Pamphila ¶ Talke with my mistresse Sir and you shall knowe Fedele ¶ Then to thy mistresse Pamphila I goe Mistresse Virginia what 's the cause I pray That you did sende of late to séeke me out If you haue any thing to me to say Speake that I may resolue you of the doubt Pamphila ¶ Fedele now beholde thy crueltie Her voyce is stopt and doth for sorowe die Virginia ¶ I neuer thought Fedele to haue founde Your shewe of faith in promises forgot Your lyking dead and buried in the grounde My selfe cast off as though you knew me not To loue in ieste and turne it to a scorne Is not the nature of a Gentle borne Fedele ¶ Mistresse I loue you as I did before As dearely as the dearest friend you haue Or as a brother would you any more Commande of me what curtesie may craue If Fancies lurking poyson you remoue And be not shipt in Seaes of raging loue Whose great companions are discorde and wrath Flattery Deceit Treason and Crueltie Heuinesse of minde gréef penurie and scathe Unrest suspicion feare and Ielousie Consuming hunger and an endlesse thirste A living death life dying with the firste Virginia ¶ Ah Pamphila I finde thy wordes are true The more in liking I did thinke him bound The looser he and hunteth after newe His talke was nothing but an empty sound Those vertues nowe I sée he doth despise That once did painte my picture in his eyes If Iustice Pallace stande aboue the skyes And angrie gods doe looke into our life Some plague no doubt for him they will deuise And scourge him with some storme of bitter strife Although he vaunt of conquest here a while T' is not praise worthy a woman to beguile Come Pamphila I 'le learne to set him light That so dissembles with a double tongue Helpe to conueighe me streight out of his sight Whose wandring choyse hath done me double wrong Farewell Sir as we met we meane to parte Pamphila ¶ This gréeting answeres vnto his desert Exeunt Verg. Pam. Fedele ¶ So quickly gone farewell all women for Victoriaes sake And on them all for her reuenge I meane to take Busie they are with pen to write our vices in our face But negligent to knowe the blemish of their owne disgrace Gestures and lookes in readinesse at their command they haue Mirth sorrowe feare hope and what other passion you can craue Hence riseth euery cloude in loue this bréedeth all the strife Snares to our féete deuouring cankers these are vnto life Actus tertia Seena secunda Enter Pedante with the robe on his arme Pedante ¶ Ridetur chorda qui semper aberrat eadem I cannot abide Sir to harpe still vpon one string It is too Cuckolike they say one song continually to sing It were good for you to learne quickly in what cléefe you should take your part And be spéedely reuenged on her that strikes such a dagger to your heart Oh they are full of deceit cogging flattery foisting twitle-twatle and I know not what This Genus demonstratiuam is such a bottomlesse sea you will neuer haue done if you enter into that The dispraise of women is so great that without doubt All the tongnes in the world are not able to set it out T' is one of my precepts to be short and sharpe in word and bloe When they anger you bid the deuill take them all and make no more adoe Fedele ¶ Waste thou so neare Pedante Pedante ¶ I heard you well ynough I thinke I must bring you to Copia rerū againe for chāge of stuffe Leaue these exclamations and crying out vpon women now If you looke well to your selfe the faulte is in you You would néedes loue though in your last lecture among your sententiae similitudines and dicendi flores I made you write this in your paper booke Littore quot conchae tot sunt in amore dolores Fedele ¶ Thou didst in déede Pedante and I haue not it forgot Pedante ¶ Now you finde it by proofe I beléeue you will not But let this matter passe and tell me Sir how with Fortunio you spéede Did you touch him so néere that his heart did bléede Fedele ¶ Oh no for in Victoria he hath such confidence That he excuseth her and now mistrusteth my pretence pedante ¶ What remedy then Fedele ¶ I knowe not for he saith except that I can plainly proue
Exit Pedante ¶ What a drunken wooer am I that gaue her neuer a licke This falles out pat for my Maister Fedele and comes in the nick By cogging and counterfaiting looue as you sée If Attilia be so mad as to like and looue mée By her all the Iugling of her mistres I shall knowe And finde whether any new cōmers have set my Maister beside the cushin or no Crack-stone ¶ This is as excrement for my proposition as can be desirde Soon at night like the Schoolmaister will I be attirde First come first seru'd if the maid be so fréendly to let mée in Then Sa Sa Sa the battaile will beginne With that Magnaniminstrelsie and mercy that in mée dooth floe I le make a conflict of the Mistres and let the maid goe Farewell seely Schoolmaister this Iniunction is not found in his Aduerb I trowe Exit Pedante ¶ These tidings wil be ioyfull to my maister I am sure Who for loue of Victoria suffers many a sharp shower Enter Fedele Loe where he comes walking by him selfe alone With his head full of thoughts and his hart full of mone Rowse vp your wittes Sir what are you a sléep Neuer be so base minded to a woman to créep Sée sée your cap on your head good manners forgot Now you are come to your owne swinge you knowe me not Doo your dutie to your maister good nurture is best In via virtutis non progredi regredi est Fedele ¶ Alas my care so closeth vp my sight That all is lost wherin I should delight Pedante ¶ You knowe that it may be said of me which was said of Vlisses Multorum hominum mores qui vidit et vrbes Therfore if you desire mée your cares to reléeue The best counsell I can to you I will giue Fedele ¶ You knowe Victoria is the cause of all my secret smart Victoriaes beautie is the worme that gnawes me to the hart What counsaile now Pedante ¶ Did not I teach you long agoe out of tragicall Seneca His golden saying duo omnium malorum foemina Did I not cause you with your pen in the margent of your book to marke that place And yet will you be tooting on a beautifull face Which no otherwise vanisheth and away dooth goe Then water that neuer returnes to the spring from whence it did flowe Beautie is so tickle a foundation to bear any frame And looue so vncertain that it throwes the house on his hed that built the same Wherupon I gaue you a good lesson of olde Euery letter therof would be written in Golde Quod inuat exiguum est plus est quod laedit amantes They knowe what I mean that are versificautes Fedele ¶ If this colde comfort in my néed be all that I shall haue Out of my sight No succour at thy handes I mean to craue Pedante ¶ Adultus Iuuenis tandem custode remoto Cereus in vitium flecti monitoribus asper The right course of the world now he runnes vpon whéeles Had I knowen this when you were a boy I would haue hamperd your héeles It were a good déed to set all your fortune at euen and od And let you alone till you are beaten with your owne rod But the looue that I bear to you euery day Will not suffer me to sée this good witte cast away Some tidings I haue for you therfore be not afraid I am growen in acquaintance with Victoriaes maid By whome I trust in the end to knowe What Suters to her Mistres resorte too and fro If no body els do followe the game The spark that you left in her brest will break out in a flame Fedele ¶ Thankes good Pedante get thée home and leaue me héer a space To trye if I may méet with faire Victoria in this place Pedante ¶ I knowe where to prick that the vain may bléed Sée how faire he dooth speak when his humour I féed This passeth Prosodia Sintaxis and all T is the way to my profit to stoop to his call Exit Fedele ¶ Héer was I wunt to méet with her and héer I mean to walke And sound her meaning if I may by moouing her to talke Victoria setteth open the Casement of her windowe and with her Lute in her hand playeth and singeth this dittie Victoria If looue be like the flower that in the night When darknes drownes the glory of the Skyes Smelles sweet and glitters in the gazers sight But when the gladsome Sun beginnes to rise And he that viewes it would the same imbrace It withereth and looseth all his grace Why doo I looue and like the cursed Tree Whose buddes appeer but fruite will not be seen Why doo I languish for the flower I see Whose root is rot when all the leaues be green In such a case it is a point of skill To followe chaunce and looue against my will Speake Ah poor Victoria héer it was thy guise To stand and sée Fortunio passing by Whose loouely shape hath caught me by mine eyes And meanes to make me prisoner while I dye To gaze on him was life to mée before His absence death because I sée no more Fedele ¶ Oh gréedy looue that neuer féeleth glut How haue I boasted of Victoriaes grace With feare at last from fauour to be shut And lose the light of such a shining face Shall neither teares nor toyle nor broken sléep Haue force inough a Ladies looue to kéep Victoria ¶ And hath Fortunio now forgot the way Which by my windowe learnd of late to walke Sée the disturber of my peace this day Fedele comes to proffer mée some talke Sith hée is héer his patience I will prooue Whome for Fortunios sake I cannot looue Fedele ¶ I serue a Mistres whiter then the snowe Straighter then Cedar brighter then the Glasse Finer in trip and swifter then the Roe More pleasant then the Féeld of flowring Grasse More gladsome to my withering Ioyes that fade Then Winters Sun or Sommers cooling shade Swéeter then swelling grape of ripest wine Softer then feathers of the fairest Swan Smoother then Iet more stately then the Pine Fresher then Poplar smaller then my span Clearer then Beauties fiery pointed beam Or Ysie cruste of Christalles frosen stream Yet is shée curster then the Beare by kinde And harder harted then the aged Oke More glib then Oyle more fickle then the winde Stiffer then Stéele no sooner bent but broke Loe thus my seruice is a lasting sore Yet will I serue although I dye therfore Enter Victoria Victoria ¶ Now must I either fode him off with fained curtesie Or els be coy in talke to rid mée of his company Shee offreth to departe he stayeth her Sir Fedele well met and so farwell I must away My busines is such as will not suffer me to staye Fedele ¶ Mistres Victoria let us haue one woord before yée goe Oh looue oh death betwéen you bothe vouchsafe to rid my woe Victoria ¶ A wunder sure it is to sée how gentlemen complain What